


the last great american dynasty (ruining everything)

by geminisfolklore



Category: Legacies (TV 2018), The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: 1880s, 2030s, Cheating, F/F, Failed Marriage, Magic, Running Away, Soulmate AU, Summer Fling, Taylor Swift wrote folklore for hosie, Two timelines, basically one big mess, doppelganger au, everyone is 18+, folklore AU, for now anyways, scandals, that's all
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:41:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25655320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geminisfolklore/pseuds/geminisfolklore
Summary: ON HIATUSIn the woods of Mystic Falls is a gorgeous mansion on the coast of the lake, named Holiday House. Hope Mikaelson, desperate to get away from New Orleans after her scandal, buys the mansion and relocates to the small town, hoping to lay low for a bit. Josie Saltzman has lived in Mystic Falls all her life and has always had a fascination with the old mansion on the lake. When Hope and Josie meet, its an instant kind of chemistry, the one great loves are made of. However, things only get harder when they begin to uncover the secrets of Holiday House, and what happened 150 years ago.Faith Marshall and Genevieve Parker are long dead, but Mystic Falls still pass their story down like folklore. The original owners of Holiday House, Faith and Genevieve were a story of love and tragedy with a bow painted on top. The original doppelgangers, their love story covers failed marriages, illicit affairs, exile, and eventually death.The stories of Faith and Genevieve and Hope and Josie are not as far apart as it looks. Apparently Holiday House has a reputation - one that's made of ruining everything.
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman, Hope/Landon (background kinda), Kaleb Hawkins/Jed, Maya Machado/Penelope Park, Mikaelson OC/Saltzman OC, Milton "MG" Greasley/Lizzie Saltzman
Comments: 17
Kudos: 46





	1. so I'm leaving out the side door

**Author's Note:**

> i do not own the rights to Legacies, folklore, or any other common themes! also, constructive criticism only, please!

_ The 2030s, present day _

“Last call for all passengers getting off at Alexandria!” 

Hope Mikaelson sighed, stepping off the train, leaving the conductor’s voice behind her. Alexandria was only an hour’s drive from Mystic Falls - the place that would be Hope’s new home. Maybe it wasn’t a very good idea to run away from New Orleans, but after what happened… Well, let’s just say Hope would have an easier time boarding herself up then returning to the French Quarter. A good idea? Maybe not. But the best option that Hope had? Definitely.

The auburn-haired woman let her eyes scan through the train station, looking for a piece of paper with her name on it. Apparently the house that she had impulsively bought came with a butler who had been all too happy to come and pick her up from the station. At first, she hadn’t been to keen on it, but she figured that firing a butler who’d had a job at Holiday House for so long would be cruel. He’d said he’s worked there for over fifty years, after all. The least she could do is allow him the chance to prove he was worth keeping around the house. 

After a few moments of searching, Hope spotted an old man with the name  _ Michaelsyn _ written on it. Her eyebrows knitted together, wondering if that was supposed to be her. She took another cursory glance around the station, but she didn’t see anything else with her name on it. Well, she supposed that a card with the wrong spelling was better than no card at all. At least the butler hadn’t forgotten about her completely. Carefully, Hope rolled her small suitcase over to him. “You must be Mr. Greasley?” she asked him. 

“I’m sorry, young lady, but my name is Mr. Smith. I do not know who Mr. Greasley is.”

“Oh,” Hope said, sure that her face fell into a twisted expression of confusion. “I’m so sorry. Excuse me.”

She turned around, and in the three seconds that followed, a young man bumped into her, causing her to nearly trip over her suitcase. “Watch it!” Hope said, catching herself only because of her tribrid senses not allowing her to so easily fall. The young man turned around to look at her, and his eyes lit up as he did so.

“Miss Mikaelson! I’m sorry about that - I thought I might be late and miss you.”

He reached forward, extending his hand as if to shake her own. She raised an eyebrow. “You know me?” 

“I’m Mr. Greasley.”

“You’re my age,” she said, suddenly unsure of this man’s story. He’d said that he had worked for Holiday House for over fifty years. There was no way he could be the same man she’d spoken to on the phone. Was this a con? Had she even bought a house at all? Hope was beginning to think this might be a big conspiracy theory and scam. Perhaps leaving New Orleans without much research had already come back to bite her in the ass.

“Yes, about that…” Mr. Greasley said, grinning some. “I researched you before we talked on the phone. I figured you would know about people like me.”

“People…like you?” 

“Vampires.”

Oh.

_ Oh. _

“Are…vampires common in Mystic Falls?” Hope said, keeping her voice low so that no one might overhear. Of course, hearing about vampires wasn’t a common thing, but to Hope, it was no big deal. She was, after all, one-third vampire herself. Still, she had thought Mystic Falls would be a normal town - one that she wouldn’t have to worry too much about the supernatural. And here she was, meeting a vampire on her very first day.

Mr. Greasley seemed to falter at that question. “Not common, like in New Orleans. But there are a few of us,” he said, clearing his throat. “Let me take you to the car, where we can talk more privately about Mystic Falls and its secrets.”

Hope nodded, letting him take her suitcase and following him out of the station. Neither one of them tried to make conversation as they pushed through the crowds of people. Hope wasn’t sure of what was on Mr. Greasley’s mind, but on her own, she was more worried about the new town she was settling into. If she would have to fight for her life here like she did in New Orleans, would it really be the kind of town she could lie low in?

By the time they made it to the car, Hope’s mind was running wild. She slid into the backseat, not even taking a moment to pay attention to her surroundings. The second Mr. Greasley closed the driver’s door, she spoke. “Do people here know who I am?” Hope asked, tilting her chin up simply.

The man laughed. “You don’t waste a second, do you Miss Mikaelson?” When she didn’t answer, he seemed to understand that she was being rather serious. “No, ma’am. I had to pay for some serious investigation and only found it out because my mother knew of your aunt - Rebekah Mikaelson. I don’t believe you’re common knowledge here.”

Hope nodded, pursing her lips carefully, leaning back into the car and thinking for a moment. So, people here wouldn’t know who she was. Maybe Mystic Falls would be a decent place for her to settle down. Besides this move was only for the summer, and based on the listing for the house she bought, it would be remote enough that she wouldn’t have to deal with anyone if she didn’t want to. That might be one of the perks of having a butler - even if it made her feel obnoxious. He could go into town for her. Still, she felt pretentious having help around. She’d need to find a way for that to be more acceptable. Starting with something very simple.

“You can call me Hope. I don’t really have an interest in you calling me ma’am, either. I’m your age. At least physically,” she said, trying to smile softly at him through the rearview mirror. “And I’d appreciate it if you let me call you by your first name as well. That way we’re on a better basis.”

“MG.”

“MG Greasley?”

“Well, the G is  _ for _ Greasley, actually. My first name is Milton, but this girl suggested I change it, and, well…”

“Ah, a girl.”

“It’s not like that.”

“It never is.”

Silence spread throughout the car, and Hope smiled a bit. While things might not be easy for her, she thought she might come to enjoy MG’s company. Once he worked past his need to not offend her, they could even be friends. She wasn’t looking for new friends, exactly, but one in this small town wouldn’t kill her, would it? And, so, when they pulled the car over the hill an hour later, Hope smiled.

“And there it is, Hope. Holiday House. I hope you enjoy it.”

* * *

* * *

* * *

_ The 1880s _

Faith Marshall was admittedly not too sure about this move. Her father insisted it would raise her status, and set her up for a successful lineage. Faith did not care about these things, but she knew her father saw them as crucial. If he wanted her to move to Mystic Falls, Virginia, then she would. He had arranged for the trip, as well as her lodging. She was to meet the prestigious Kirby family in just under twenty minutes. And her father’s instructions were rather clear - to make Landon Kirby, the heir to the Standard Oil name, fall in love with her. It would secure her a good future, and help promote the Marshall name.

Once again, Faith may not care about these things, but she also had no other plans. She had never been in love herself, so marrying for love seemed like a pipe dream. Money was not an important factor to her either, but who didn’t like a few extra dollars lying around? Maybe this made her a bit of a gold-digger, but she found that securing her future would be a good thing for a girl like her. She didn’t have a lot more going for her, other than her looks. This would be the best future she could see for herself, and it felt like a relatively good idea, even if she didn’t care much for it.

“How much longer?” she called out to the man driving the carriage. When he answered back a low five minutes, she huffed softly, falling back into her chair. She was alone in the carriage, as her family didn’t have a handmaiden to send with her, and they couldn’t come themselves. After all, she was under the guise of trying to get a better education - something much more attainable in Mystic Falls. The carriage ride was quite lonely, and she suspected the same would be true of the Kirby Boarding Home. She only hoped to make at least one friend - or that she at least enjoyed Mr. Kirby’s company in the end. 

Finally, the carriage pulled to a stop. After taking a quick breath, Faith peeked out of the window. The house was gorgeous - a giant, white plantation home. There were people bustling around, carrying things from baskets to dogs to small children. Faith, who came from a nice family, but not one with much extra money, was amazed by how gorgeous everything was. Beautiful things were not easy to come by in her home, and here she was, eye-to-eye with a beautiful home. She couldn’t wait for a second longer to see it, and so she let herself out of the carriage, not caring that the footman looked rather disturbed.

“The help is of no use to you, Miss Marshall?”

Faith turned her head in the direction of the voice, and standing only a few feet away from her was who she immediately presumed to be Mr. Kirby. He was young - probably only a year or two older than her. It was a bit of a shock, but one Faith knew she would be able to handle. Straightening her back, she smiled. “I’m afraid I’m just not used to the help, Mr. Kirby. We don’t have much of it at my home. I’m not sure of the manners and expectations.”

“Well, rest assured, we have only the best here. And we take great pride in making sure they’re paid for their services. You’ll become more acquainted with a few of them eventually. Shall I escort you inside?”

Faith smiled a bit. Perhaps it was a bit naive of her, but he really didn’t seem that bad, did he? She had her worries that a man from a big family, with an inheritance the size of New York, would be snarky and entitled. Landon Kirby didn’t seem that bad, at least not initially. Faith smiled some, her eyes raking over him. Maybe her time in Mystic Falls wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“That would be lovely,” she said, accepting the hand that he had offered to her. He helped her down the few steps, and soon the pair fell into step beside each other, Faith’s hand clutching his arm softly - the way she’d seen couples back home do. This felt normal, without being pushy. This was a good introduction - a good way to make a first impression. “I must say that your home is beautiful. Am I really meant to infringe on your company for a whole summer?” she teased softly, hoping that he would reward her with a laugh.

And laugh he did. However, Faith admittedly didn’t care for the sound of it. She tried not to think too hard on it. It probably had something to do her father’s expectations weighing on her, rather than her actual distaste for Landon. After all, he was being so nice to her. “It is not an infringement by any means, Miss Marshall. We are quite excited to have a guest in the house. We only hope you enjoy your time in Mystic Falls - it is a beautiful, quaint town.”

“As I can tell.”

Silence loomed over them for a moment. It was like the awkwardness was finally settling on, and suddenly Faith’s mind was going a few miles a minute, trying to think of ways to win back the affection that she had already lost. Luckily for her, a distraction presented itself. One in a dirty brown dress, with hair and eyes to match.

Faith’s voice caught in her throat. 

Perhaps the attire was ugly - but the girl inside of them was anything but. 

“Genevieve!” Landon said proudly, grinning softly as he looked at her. “I was about to come looking for you. I’d like you to meet our gues, Miss Marshall.”

The beautiful girl smiled, and Faith swore she could feel her heartbeat in her fingertips. The young girl had felt things like this before - once - but that had been a long time ago. The last thing that she had been expecting was to feel those things again, and here she was, sure that her skin was on fire because of how hard she was blushing as she stared at the brunette girl.

“Miss Marshall. Welcome to Mystic Falls.”

“Thank you.” Faith whispered softly, looking at her, her eyes widening softly.

“Let me know if I can help you with anything. I’d be proud to service you.”

Faith had heard those words before.

And she was not a fan of the ending.

But she supposed history did have a way of repeating itself.


	2. the blues and purple-pink skies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which, hope and faith are useless gays - and josie and genevieve are too friendly

_ The 1880s _

The knock on her door is what stirred Faith awake that morning. She wasn’t normally the kind of person to sleep in, but the day of traveling had worn her out the day prior. Plus, as far as she had been told at dinner last night, she didn’t have any obligations that morning. If she had known someone would show up at her door this early, she certainly would have woken up in time to be prepared to answer it. Still, there was no avoiding the knock, so she swung herself out of bed, wrapping her black nightgown tightly around herself. Her feet padded softly towards the door, and she only stopped a foot or so away. “Who is it?”

“Genevieve! Mr. Kirby sent me to get you ready.”

Faith instantly went into a form of panic; the anxiety of being face to face (well, face to door) with the brunette girl hitting her fast. She had no idea what to do, because if Landon had sent her, he must have had his reasons. It would be rude to refuse the help, but Faith didn’t know if she could face the other girl. She had had a hard enough time sleeping the night before, because every time she closed her eyes, she saw the same color brown as Genevieve’s eyes.

“Miss Marshall? Are you going to let me in?”

Faith took a step away from the door. “I-I’m not sure,” she finally said. Might as well try being honest, right? At first, there was no reply. 

Then, almost so soft that she didn’t hear it.

“I’m not going to say anything if you don’t, Faith. Just let me in, so I don’t lose my job.”

Faith’s mouth twisted into a frown, but she ended up grabbing the door handle anyways. Once she opened the door, she saw the brunette girl. She was in a pale yellow dress today. It was still ragged, like her one from the night before, but it complimented the girl much more, matching her almost perfectly. Yellow had always been Genevieve’s color. “It’s not that I don’t want to say anything. You just have to understand why I can’t.”

“I know.”

“Okay.”

“So...may I come in?”

Faith nodded, stepping back and letting Genevieve in. Faith closed the door carefully, almost hesitating before the lock clicked. She wasn’t nervous to be alone with Genevieve, at least not in the way that you would expect. There was nothing about Genevieve that scared her, it was the idea of getting caught with her. Of Landon figuring out that Faith and Genevieve knew each other back in New Orleans. That would unravel everything about her trip to Mystic Falls. Her father would be furious if he found out that she lost her chance to make the heir to the Standard Oil name fall in love with her.

She turned around, to find Genevieve staring back at her. For just a moment, she stared at the girl, their eyes meeting like they had so many times before. But, Faith couldn’t stare at her like that again. It would only serve to hurt Faith in the end, and she wasn’t in the interest of hurting herself. Someone had to look out for her, and Faith decided a long time ago that that someone would be herself. 

“What did Mr. Kirby send you here for?”

“To get you ready. He would like to take you on a picnic by the lake,” Genevieve said, and Faith thought for just a moment she saw something flicker across Genevieve’s face. 

“Oh. That sounds lovely. I suppose I could use help getting ready. Shall we pick out a dress?”

“Did you…” But Genevieve didn’t finish the thought. 

Faith couldn’t help herself, though. She had never been one to leave well enough alone. It didn’t matter to her that asking this question went against the fact that she didn’t want to talk about the past while she was here in Mystic Falls. It didn’t matter much to Faith at all; she couldn’t stop herself from letting the question pour out of her mouth. “Did I what?”

There was a moment of silence before Genevieve spoke again, and Faith wished she hadn’t asked the question. “Did you pack the red sundress?”

“Oh,” Faith said, looking away from the girl, and walking over towards her things. “Yes, I did.”

“You should wear that, then. It brings out the red in your hair.”

“Thank you, Gen...evieve.”

“You know, you don’t have to do that here. We’re in your room; who’s going to hear us?”

“I don’t know, and that’s what scares me,” Faith said, her blue eyes darting up again, landing on Genevieve’s. The other girl was staring intently at her, and Faith frowned some. She didn’t want to have to deal with this. Mystic Falls was supposed to be a break from the pain, in a way. She had never expected Genevieve to not only be in the town but to work for the man Faith was hoping to marry in a month or two. “But we can’t talk about it, Genevieve. What we did...what we...I mean…”

“I understand,” Genevieve said, and her face read that she did. Somehow, Faith thought that hurt more than her  _ not _ understanding. “Well, let’s get you dressed. Mr. Kirby doesn’t like tardiness.”

Faith nodded, but she didn’t say anything, instead pulling out the red sundress that Genevieve had mentioned moments ago. She felt a bit awkward wearing it but disappeared behind the changing divider anyways. A few moments later, Faith was stripped of her nightgown, and simply just needed the corset to be laced on the sundress. “Do you mind lacing me up?”

“Of course,” Genevieve said, walking over to her. Faith was standing in front of the mirror, so she could see the brunette, even though she was right behind her. She watched her carefully, noting the way Genevieve carefully avoided making contact with Faith’s skin. The auburn-haired girl sucked in a breath when Genevieve pulled the lace tighter, letting it go once she felt it was safe too. “All done.”

At Genevieve’s words, Faith nodded, moving to turn around. Only, Genevieve had yet to move, so it only ended up with Faith and her facing one another, less than two inches separating their bodies. Faith, who had always been a little short, looked up into the brunette’s eyes, biting down on her bottom lip. “Thank you.”

“You look beautiful,” Genevieve said. 

“Thank you,” Faith repeated, and neither girl went to move.

Silence encompassed the girls, as they both just stood there, staring up at one another, daring the other to make the first move. Faith, despite telling herself that slipping back into old habits was a bad idea, couldn’t help but find herself wanting to close the gap, and sink back into how things had been last August. But, she had made it perfectly clear to Genevieve earlier that she had no intention of even talking about the last summer. 

Genevieve was the first to move, breaking away, and clearing her throat. “Well, Mr. Kirby should be up to collect you in fifteen minutes. I have other duties to attend to, so I ought to be going…”

“Genevieve,” Faith said, taking a step, reaching forward to grab her wrist.

“Have a good date, Miss Marshall,” Genevieve whispered, before slipping out the door, leaving Faith standing in her red sundress, all by herself.

* * *

* * *

* * *

_ Present Day _

Moving into the beautiful saltbox house was tiring, but the hardest part of the process was over now. Hope was thankful for that, of course, because it meant that she could do the fun part, which was decorating. Interior design was one of her secret passions, that she didn’t let a whole lot of people know about. Similar to her baking skill, or the fact that she was actually a really good singer if you could catch her when she was in the shower, or humming when no one was listening. So, yeah, she was excited to decorate the massive house. She just hated actually moving all the furniture in.

MG was a great help, though, so the process went by easily. Things were finally in the right rooms, even if they were still in boxes. Now, after a nice night’s rest in the master bedroom, Hope was excited to get started on decorating. She already had plans to make herself an art studio on the ground floor, and once she got things moved around, the kitchen was going to be a lot of fun to bake in - it had a gorgeous set of counters, and a beautiful oven. She was excited about this. As hard as it was to move away from New Orleans, Hope really enjoyed this house. It made it a little bit more bearable. 

When the doorbell rang, breaking Hope from her concentration of aligning the pictures of her and her family, she was startled. She had given MG the day off - as she wasn’t completely comfortable with having a butler yet. She promised him full pay for the day but claimed that she just wanted alone time to get decorated and settled. He seemed hesitant, but he left her anyway. She had even made a joke about him seeing the girl that things were so clearly about, but he only laughed before disappearing through the front door. Maybe one day, Hope would learn that full story.

The auburn-haired tribrid considered ignoring the doorbell, but when it went off again, she figured she would have better luck getting them to go away if she answered it. So, she set down the stack of pictures, before heading through the foyer and towards the big, wooden doors. There was no peephole, so Hope had to rely on her hearing for a moment, tuning into her vampire side. She could only hear breathing and a soft heartbeat. So, on the bright side, not a vampire. Good. Right now, MG was the only vampire that she wanted in her life.

“I’m sorry, I’m not really in the--” Hope started to say as she opened the door, but she found herself at a loss for words. There, standing on her doorstep, was a brunette beauty. She was gorgeous with slightly tanned skin, big brown eyes, and a slightly pouty smile. Hope wasn’t the kind to get crushes or infatuation, but if she  _ was _ that kind of person, this would be the kind of girl she would go for. Though, maybe that was partially because the girl was holding a big basket in her hands. 

“Hi!” she said excitedly, causing Hope to blink, almost like the girl’s perkiness was blinding to her. “My name’s Josie Saltzman, and I live up the street a bit! I saw the truck yesterday, and wanted to welcome you to Mystic Falls!”

Hope nodded, almost like she was afraid to speak in a way. She stared at the other girl for a moment, before finally forcing herself to find the right words. “Right, uh, thanks,” Hope muttered, letting her eyes drift out to the woods behind her, and the lake that went just behind that. “Up the street? I didn’t think there were any houses up the street.”

“Well, uh, by up the street, I mean up the town,” Josie said, and when Hope looked back to her, she noticed the brunette was blushing wildly. Hope could barely contain her smile (but she did.) “Still, I thought that  _ someone  _ should welcome you. So, here I am!”

“With a basket.”

“It’s like I’m Little Red Riding Hood running from the Big Bad Wolf,” Josie said with a laugh, and Hope was unable to suppress her own giggled, but for completely unrelated reasons. “Sorry, I like fairytales. Um, anyway, yeah! I brought you some housewarming gifts. Some cheeses, fruits, and my favorite -- sweet tea!” 

“Sweet tea?”

“Yeah. What? You’ve never had it?” 

“I’m from New Orleans; of course I’ve had it. I’m just surprised someone from small-town, Virginia drinks it sweet.”

“I know this would totally get me disowned from the state, but I think unsweet tea tastes like feet.”

“Feet?”

“Well, what I imagine feet to taste like.”

Hope had to push down her smile again. There was something about this girl - the little ways that she babbled, and her natural charisma - that brought out a more smiley part of Hope. It was probably just because the girl was so nice, and Hope hadn’t really expected to meet anyone here, let alone make friends. Not that she and Josie were friends, exactly, but it was still nice to meet her. She was pretty. Er, pretty nice, that is.

“Well, thank you for the taste of home,” Hope said, reaching to take the basket from Josie. She noticed the way Josie’s eyes drifted back into her home, almost like she was looking right through Hope, and instead admiring the mansion. The tribrid raised an eyebrow. “You have a fan of marble floors or something?”

“Oh, uh, no...I mean, they’re gorgeous. I just--” Josie shook her head. “Never mind; I don’t want to give off the wrong impression.”

“You just told me that you liked fairytales and knew what feet tasted like. Not to mention you lied to me. I think we have gotten past the ‘wrong impression’ thing.” Hope said with a laugh.

Josie smiled back at her, and they locked eyes for a moment. Hope wondered if time stood still for Josie as it did for her? It was a fleeting thought; a stupid thought. But Hope couldn’t help but think that she had felt this way before, almost like she’d met Josie before. Not that that was possible of course, because she would remember meeting someone like her. 

“Fine,” Josie said, but Hope noticed the almost mischievous tint in her eyes. “I’ll tell you, but only if you invite me in for tea. It’d be rude otherwise, and we’re  _ very _ strict on manners here in Mystic Falls?”

“Are you?”

“Yes, very much so, ma’am.”

“Well, then I guess you better come in for some tea, Josie.”

“I guess I better, Miss…?” Josie trailed off, waiting for the other girl to finish the sentence for her. 

“Mikaelson. Hope Mikaelson.”

“Well, its really nice to meet you, Mikaelson.”

“Likewise, Saltzman.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really loved this chapter! i had so much fun writing from hope and faith's povs, and writing these "first" meetings. Let me know what you guys thought!!! 
> 
> \--Carey (@geminisfolklore on twitter)


End file.
